2019 Retreat: Dreaming the Way Forward with John Philip Newell

"Dreaming the Way Forward” is the theme of the third annual gathering of the New England School of Celtic Consciousness. The School follows a three-year curriculum and participants are welcome to join at any stage and/or attend any location. The themes repeat themselves in a three-year rotation. https://heartbeatjourney.org/celticschool/

This summer at Mercy by the Sea, John Philip Newell will focus on the central themes of Celtic Spirituality, the sacredness of the earth and the human soul. He will draw from some of the great visionaries of our Celtic Christian inheritance, including Alexander Scott, Kenneth White and George MacLeod.

Participants’ daily schedule will consist of prayer at the beginning and end of each day, presentations by John Philip Newell, followed by meditative practices, silence and sharing. Meals will be in common and there will be free time to walk the beach or our seven-circuit labyrinth, rest, as well as attend a party and book signing on the last evening to celebrate our time together.

Advance required reading includes John Philip Newell’s Listening to the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality and Christ of the Celts. The recommended prayer book for the School is Sounds of the Eternal: A Celtic Psalter also by John Philip Newell. All are available in the Mercy by the Sea bookstore.

The retreat, which begins Tuesday, July 16, 2019, and concludes on Thursday, July 18, is open for both overnight guests and commuters. The commuter rate will include the program plus dinners on Tuesday and Wednesday and lunch on Wednesday. Mercy by the Sea will begin accepting registrations online or by phone on January 23, 2019.

Extend Your Stay for Celtic Sabbath: Rest and Re-create

Give yourself the gift of contemplative time to reflect upon and integrate your experience and learning offered during the Dreaming Your Way Forward retreat. Continue the practices of prayer, chant and ritual with other attendees. Led by Mercy by the Sea staff, there will be daily reflection in community, and plenty of time for solitude and renewal. This is a time of quiet, with the option to eat meals in community conversation or to eat in solitude and silence.

Celtic Sabbath time will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 18 and end at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 20.

To register beginning January 23, 2019 for one or both programs, please call Guest Services at 203.245.0401 ext. 114.